Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a nice golden brown. There are a few visible veins that carry a lighter shade to them. The seams are pretty easily visible but very smooth. The cap application is a work of art with how smoothly they are applied. The cigar has two bands which tries to make it look like three. The primary band has a horizontal cut out in the front which makes it look like they are separate. The top has the line name while the bottom lists the series. The foot band has some nice artwork and lists the company name. The aroma from the wrapper is a very faint hay and barnyard. The aroma from the foot is a sweeter hay. The pre-light draw gives some hay and also a bit of graham cracker with its light sweetness and cinnamon.

Pre-light Experience

The Byron Siglo XXI is a monster of a cigar. The wrapper is a Colorado Claro shade and is incredibly silky smooth and semi-oily. Veins are well pressed and seams tight. The cigar is packed full of tobacco, providing a firm give. The head is finished off with a well adhered triple cap. Pre-light wrapper aromas give a balanced mixture of dry white pepper, aged cedar and barnyard. Foot smells of rich roasted nuttiness and white pepper. Cold draw tells rich nuttiness and cedar.

First Third

Initial draws bring some woodiness and a light black pepper. There is a spicy tingle on my lips as well. After a few draws, the black pepper morphs into cinnamon. A quarter inch in, the profile is creamy wood and cinnamon, a great combination. The retrohale is a mellow creamy wood. About half an inch in, the retrohale gains a bit of a bready component to go along with the creamy wood. Just passing the inch mark, the cinnamon goes away and the creaminess mellows out while the woodiness takes front stage. The retrohale has lost the cream, so it is primarily woody, but still has a great bready finish. An inch and a half in, the breadiness from the retrohale is now making its way into the mouth flavor. It mixes well with the wood and dialed back cream. As the third comes to a close, the mix of wood, bread and creaminess has come together quite well. The retrohale is still wood and bread. The strength in this third was right below medium.

First Third

First third flavors is comprised of deep and distinctive notes of slick and oily black pepper zing, medium bodied sweet cream and wood bitterness. Through the nose, intensified black pepper spice, under-ripe stone fruits, bread and wood bitterness. The finish lingers with dry roasted nuts, slight wood bitterness and faint cream. Body is somewhere in between medium and medium full. Strength is at a solid medium.

Second Third

As this third begins, a slight bit of cinnamon comes back to the profile of wood, bread and cream. A half inch in, the cinnamon and cream go away while the wood and bread remain. There is also a slight bitterness that has joined the profile but does not detract from it. Three quarters of an inch in, the bread and bitterness go away and the woodiness is left as the lone note. The retrohale is still wood and bread. At an inch in, a graham cracker note comes in that carries a bit of sweet breadiness and cinnamon to go along with the wood. At an inch and a half, the sweet breadiness goes away and the wood and mild cinnamon remains. As the third comes to a close, a little breadiness comes back in to mix with the wood and cinnamon. The strength in this third is right at medium.

Second Third

The second thirds profile smooths out. The profile becomes sweeter and creamier, pairing well with the oily and slick black pepper zing. The black pepper itself has decreased, allowing for a more balanced flavor profile. In addition, oak, bread, dry nuts and slight wood bitterness. Through the nose, still intensified black pepper, bread and wood bitterness. The finish lingers with dry roasted nuts, slight wood bitterness, medium bodied sweet cream and cinnamon zing. Body continues to be somewhere between medium and medium full. Strength continues to be at the medium mark.

Final Third

As this third begins, the profile is just wood. The retrohale is a slight bit of wood with some bread. A half inch in, some bitterness comes back to mix with the wood. The retrohale is also a bitter woodiness. At an inch in, the bitterness increases with the wood moving to the background. The retrohale has an equal mix of bitterness and wood. An inch and a quarter in and the bitterness settles down some and some cream joins the profile for an equal mix of the bitterness, wood and cream. At an inch and a half, the bitterness is gone and the profile is a creamy wood. This is the profile the cigar finishes with. The strength in this third was just above medium.

Final Third

The first half of the last third consists of medium bodied sweet and creamy bread, oily and slick cinnamon zing, slight black pepper spice, oak and dry nuts. The wood bitterness is nowhere to be found. Through the retrohale, intensified black pepper spice paired with bread. The finish lingers with dry roasted nuts, slight wood bitterness, medium body sweet cream and cinnamon zing/zip. At the halfway mark, the complexities die down, namely providing cinnamon zing and wood bitterness. Body continues to be at the medium to medium full mark. Strength continues to be at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn was pretty much perfect. There was a slight wave here or there, but that was it. Ash held on in inch to inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn was overall very good. Total smoking time was an impressive 2 hours and 55 minutes. The burn line was fairly sharp, with all the tobacco leaves burning in unison at all times. The ash was fairly strong, having no ashes falling on the ground. Ash marks averaged 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw had just the right amount of resistance I look for. The larger ring gauge isn’t my preference for the draw I like, but I got used to it after a few and the rest of the experience was fantastic.

Overall

This is a very smooth cigar. Some really nice flavors were presented and it’s nice getting a good amount of flavor from a cigar with this body level. If you’re just a full body/full strength smoker, this cigar will be lost on you, but if you enjoy flavor over all other aspects then this is one you should check out. While the price doesn’t factor in to our score, it is worth noting that this is a high priced cigar, so I doubt it fits as anyone’s daily smoke candidate, but for special occasions or something to smoke here or there, this should be on your radar. I enjoy the smaller ring gauge offerings of the Byron more, but this is still a very good representation of the line.

Draw

The draw was perfection. Just enough of a tug to let me know I’m smoking a cigar. I tasted all the flavors without ever thinking about the draw (ie, perfection).

Overall

I put this cigar in the luxury cigar category. The bands, wrapper, bunching and roll is of the utmost opulence. The smoking experience matched the look, providing overall smooth and nuanced complexities. This is by no means an everyday cigar for the typical cigar enthusiast, as the taste has the price to match it. But for those more special occasions, or when you just want to treat yourself, this is it.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.33

Cost/Point

$4.50

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

8.53

Cost/Point

$3.87

Scoring System